I replaced mine in my 2018 GLE63s with an aftermarket one from Auto Zone (Duralast Platinum). I finally got my start/stop feature back which I had forgotten about and also forgotten how annoying it was to have it ????
Sure OEM pads and calipers can stop a loaded truck on the street, but what about when your loaded truck is on a long downhill rough trail? Your brakes get very hot and you can get brake fade and too much heat can damage components, warp rotors, etc (especially after hot brakes meet cool puddle or creek crossing). I went with Dynamic Friction Ultimate Duty pads and I am glad I did because i hit a bunch of those downhill trails the next trip and they got hot, could smell them, but no brake fade and no issues since.
No need to go OEM on part. Plenty of good refurbs out there. Think I picked up a Duralast at Autozone for $190.
My 2017 is a bone stock daily driver and I have no plans to do any major upgrades or track my car. That being said, I've never had an issue with duralast gold pads and rotors from autozone. Reasonably priced and the pads have a lifetime warranty, meaning you buy them once and can trade the used ones back in for a new set at any time, no questions asked. The rotors have a 3 year warranty and even though mine are only showing some very minor wear, I'm going to take advantage of the warranty and swap them out for a new set in the next few months befor my 3 years is up.
I too have a 87 wagon. However, my experience with Duralast starters was with my 2005 Subaru. Was recently in jam and needed quick replacement then. The duralast was essentially a remanufactured part and seemed ok quality. Has been almost two months since installation and no problems at all.
I'm using Dynamic Friction pads from RockAuto and they haven't let me down, grey performance and heat barely affects it.
Lasted through two track days and still have a ton of pad life left.
IMO duralast doesn\u2019t last no where near as long as a good quality Bosch/Denso alternator.
All I could recommend is stop buying the autozone/duralast alternators. Buy a good brand, ie Denso, Delco, Motorcraft, etc. and return the duralast one outright for cash in hand.
Duralast..... if you want to get really good at changing them.
I'd advise taking that Duralast thermostat out and installing either an OEM unit or a unit from a trusted brand (such as Stant). If the Duralast gets stuck in a closed position, the SUV will overheat. If it gets stuck in an open position, the engine won't reach operating temp, and you'll have issues such as running rich. Duralast has a nickname we techs refer to: Duracrap or Dura-doesn't-last.
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